Durga Puja festival: where it originated and how it’s celebrated

By Simona Cosentino, PhD Candidate in Architecture and Global Heritage, Nottingham Trent University

Every October, Kolkata, the “city of joy” and capital of West Bengal in India, lights up to celebrate Durga Puja. The festival is dedicated to the Hindu goddess Durga – daughter, mother, warrior and defeater of demons.

Durga Puja is an extraordinary example of intangible cultural heritage. It merges religious significance and secular messages, old artistic practices and new artistic innovations. In 2021, it was inscribed in the UNESCO…

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